Suction cleaner



Feb. 3, 1942. D. e. SMELLIE 2,271,554

SUCTION CLEANER 1 Filed July 1'7, 1959 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR fionald 6'. Smellie ATTORNEY Feb. 3,1942. D. G. SMELLIE' SUCTION CLEANER Filed July 1'7, 1939 2 SheetSwSheet 2 VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII\ 'IIIIIIJ w,1,,uunnuuununuy 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ INVENTOR Donald G. Smellie ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1942 SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. Smellic, Canton, O.-hio,, assignor toiThe 1 Hoover Company, North Canten; Ohio, a; co!"- poration of Ohio Application July 17, 1939, Serial No. 284,821

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to an improved rotary agitator for a suction cleaner. More specifically the invention comprises a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner which includes helically arranged individually pivoted brush elements which are manually adjustable to compensate for wear.

It is an object of the present invention to provide'a new and improved suction cleaner. It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved rotary agitator for a suction cleaner. .A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary agitator embodying helically arranged pivoted brush elements. Still another object of the invention is to provide a rotary agitator embodying agitating elements which are helically extending and which are provided with manually operable means by which they may be radially adjusted to compensate for wear. Still another object of the invention is to provide a rotary agitator fora suction cleaner in which a helically extending agitating element subject to wear is radially adjustable in a manner such that each portion of the length thereof is given substantiallythe same radial adjustment. These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Suction cleaner rotary agitators normally embody both rigid beating elements and flexible brush elements. The latter are subject to wear with use and require either replacement or adjustment. These brushing elements should be flexible for their primary function is merely to straighten the pile of the surface covering while the rigid beater elements dislodge therefrom the embedded foreign material.

In the agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention the flexibility of the brush ing elements is increased by pivotally mounting those elements. The noise of agitator operation is reduced by having the brushing elements extend helically and the wear of those elements is compensated by manually adjustable means which permit them to be adjusted radially.

Referring now to the drawings in'which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed:

Figure l is a side elevation of a suction cleaner embodying an agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention, certain parts of the cleaner casing being broken away and shown in section;

Figure 2 is a half side view of a longitudinal section through the agitator constructed in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention as taken on the line of Figure 4, and illustrates the radially adjustable brush elements and the manually operable means by which radial adjustment is obtained;

Figure 3 is a partial longitudinal section through the agitator upon the helix of the brush;

Figure 4 is a transverse section upon the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and illustrates the cooperation of the brush-carrying element with the brushadjusting means at one end of the brush seat;

Figure 5 is a transverse section upon the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and illustrates one of the adjuster plates which are manually rotatable to obtain brush adjustment.

In Figure 1 of the drawings is illustrated a modern suction cleaner in which the rotary agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention is adapted to be embodied.

Such .a cleaner comprises a nozzle I having front and rear surface-contacting lips 2 and 3 which define the mouth of the nozzle. The rotary agitator, indicated generally by the reference character 4, is positioned within the nozzle and is adapted to contact the surface undergoing cleaning at the nozzle mouth .and between the lips 2 and 3. Cleaning air is drawn into the nozzle, down the air passageway 5, and into the fan chamber 6 by the rotation of a suction-creating fan 7- carried by the motor shaft 8. The lower end of shaft 8 is' formed as a driving pulley 9 to which is connected the agitator driving belt l t. The cleaning air is forced from the fan chamber '6 by the fan 'I through an exhaust passageway or outlet II and into a filter bag I2 which is removably attached to the exhaust outlet by manually operable means H5. The casing of the cleaner is completed by a motor housing I 4 which is positioned immediately above the fan chamber 6 and houses an unshown driving motor which may be of any ordinary type. The cleaner body is movably supported by front wheels l5 and rear wheels I6 and there is provided a pivoted handle I! by which the operator can exert the usual cleaner-propelling force required for operation.

Referring now to Figures 2 to 5, inclusive, a preferred embodiment of the invention is illus trated. The agitator is seen to comprise an elongated hollow cylindrical body 20 which is rotatably mounted at its end upon a supporting shaft 2| which extends the length of the agitator body and from each end thereof. Each end of the agitator is partially enclosed by a stationary thread guard member 22 which functions to protect the supporting bearing at that end of the agitator. Substantially midway of its length the agitator body 20 is formed with a grooved surface 23 which functions as a pulley to seat the power-transmitting belt illustrated at In in Figure 1. In the cleaner the agitator is supported by the extremities of the shaft 2|, which are suitably positioned in the end walls of the nozzle, and is rotated by the belt l0.

The agitating elements of the agitator comprise rigid beater elements 25 which extend helically upon the surface of the agitator to a definite radial extension therebeyond or height thereabove. These rigid, round beating elements are of hard polished metal and do not wear in the life of the agitator. Cooperating with the rigid beating elements 25 are helically extending brushes 26 which are seen to comprise a helically extending rigid back 21 formed with a supporting rod 28 upon which are pivoted a series of brush tufts 29 each of which includes a tuft seat 30 pivoted directly upon the rod 28.

Each brush 26 is positioned in the agitator body within a helical brush seat 32 formed with parallel side walls 33 in its back seating bottom and with diverging walls thereabove which determine the permissible range of angular movement of the pivoted brush tufts 29. The parallel side walls while closely seating the sides of the brush back 21 give sufficient clearance thereto to permit radial adjustment. Within the central portion of each brush seat described by the parallel walls 33 is a rigid brush carrier 35 formed with reduced ends which extend through guide slots 35 formed in the end wall of the brush seat. The brush back 21 is secured to the carrier 35, in each instance, through being provided at one end with a locking toe 38 which fits into a seat 39 in the brush carrier and at the opposite end with a retaining screw 49 which secures the two elements together.

The brush carrier 35 is adjusted radially in the brush seat 32 by rotatable cam members 42 one of which is positioned adjacent each end of the seat and which is formed with a cam slot 43 into which the reduced ends of the carrier extend. Each of these slots is provided with a plurality of seats which are indicated in Figure by the words Low, Medium and High. Synchronous adjustment of the cam members is provided for by the shaft-encircling connecting tube 44 to which each of the cam members 42 is fixed, and which is itself rotatably supported by a plate 45 at each end of the agitator and by a centrally located support plate 46 adjacent the interior of the pulley 23. Actually the tube 44 is formed of two halves, one on each side of the central support plate 46, the halves being connected by a sleeve 41 which is itself rotatably supported in the plate 46.

The manual adjustment of the cam members is provided for by the presence of a flanged portion or adjuster 49 upon one of the central cam members 42 which extends adjacent an opening 50 in the agitator body. Flange 49 is formed with a plurality of notches 5|, corresponding in number to the seats upon the cam slots 43, and the operator, by engaging one of the notches 5| and propelling it across the slot 50 can rotate the cam members so that the ends of the brush carriers move from one seat to an adjacent seat in the cam slots. Leaf springs 52 are secured to the interior of the agitator body 20 and a pair of such springs contact the underside of each brush carrier 35 and at all times urge it radially outward so that the extremities thereof contact the outer side of the cam slots 43, as is clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 5.

The adjustment of the agitator brush in the agitator constructed in accordance with this first embodiment of the present invention is as follows: I

With the agitator new and the brush bristles of full length the brush unit 26 is positioned within the brush seat 32 with the brush carrier 35 at the innermost radial position. This position obtains when the cam members 42 are so positioned that the extremities of the brush carriers 35 seat within the low positions which are at one end of the cam slots 43. The agitator is adapted to function without adjustment until such time as the brush bristle extension has been reduced materially within the radius of the rigid beater elements 25. In operation, of course, the elements 26 are pivoted by their contact with the surface covering in the agitator rotation, the pivotal movement taking place about the supporting helically extending pivotal rods 28 and through an angularity determined by the side Walls of the brush seats 32.

When the brush has become worn and adjustment is required the operator takes a small tool, such as a screw driver, or punch, inserts the end of it into the first notch 5| and pivots or rotates the adjuster flange 49 across the slot 59. This rotation of the flange 49 is, of course, accompanied by the rotation of the adjuster cam plate 42 by which it is carried and of all the other cam members, they being interconnected as described. As the cam members 42 are rotated the extremities of the brush carriers 35 slide along the top of the cam slots 43 and by the time the notch 5| has reached the opposite end of the slot 50 in the agitator body the ends have moved along the slots until they seat within the next radially spaced seat which is indicated in Figure 5 by the marking Medium. As the seat medium is at a greater radial distance from the axis of rotation than the low seat, and as each brush carrier is forced radially outward against the seats by the leaf springs'52, it follows that the brushes have moved radially outward by a distance which is equal to the radial distance separating th low and medium seats.

It is then possible to use the agitator until the bristles have again become worn at which time the operation is repeated, the brush carrier in this next adjustment moving from the medium position to the high position. Following the last possible adjustment, and there may obviously be more than three, it becomes necessary for the brush units to be replaced after the brush becomes worn. This is readily accomplished for each brush by the manual removal of the screws 40 and the unhooking of the toe 3B of the brush back 21 from its seat 39 in the brush [carrier 35. The brush unit is then screwed from the brush seat 32. The insertion of a new brush is exactly the reverse operation.

As the guiding parallel walls 33 of the brush seat 32 in any transverse plane, extend parallel to a radial line midway therebetween it is clear that the direction of movement of every point along the brush back will be radial. Within the limits of accuracy of structure of this type it may be said that each point along the length of the brush back receives the same radial displacement with each displacement.

I claimi 1. A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner or the like comprising a rotatable body, a brush seat in said body extended helically about the axis of rotation and including substantially parallel side walls to guide a brush element upon insertion or removal and diverging side walls thereabove, a brush element including an elongated helical back and pivoted brush tufts, the diverging side walls defining an helically extending are within which the brush tufts are adapted to pivot in use. and manually, operable means to adjust said element radially relative to the axis of rotation.

2. A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner or the like comprising rotatable supporting means and a reduced pulley section, a plurality of longitudinally spaced helically extending brush elements including rigid backs extended along helices about the axis of said supporting means and upon both sides of said pulley section, means to adjust said brush elements simultaneously and radially relative to the axis of rotation and with rotation about a central radius, said means including a plurality of rotatable cams connected to said backs and rotatable independently of said supporting means about a longitudinal axis, and single manually operable means constructed and arranged as to be operable from the side and to rotate said cams.

3. A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner or the like comprising rotatable supporting means including a hollow cylindrical body formed with a reduced centrally located pulley section, a plurality of axially spaced helically extending brush elements including rigid backs extended along helices about the axis of said supporting means and upon opposite sides of said pulley section, means to adjust said brush elements imultaneously and radially relative to the axis of rotation and with rotation about a central radius in order to give to each point along the brush substantially the same radial adjustment relative to the axis of rotation, said means including helically extending guide mean for said back, radially movable means connected to said backs, and single manually operable means to control said radially movable means constructed and arranged as to be operable at the side of said cylindrical body.

4. In a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner or the like, a hollow cylindrical body, means to support said body for rotation about a longitudinal axis, a pulley surface formed in said body between its ends, helically extending agitating element seats having substantially parallel side walls in any transverse plane positioned in said body upon the opposite sides of said pulley surface, an agitating element including a rigid back having substantially parallel side walls in any given transverse plane positioned in each of said seats and adapted to be moved radially relative to the axis of rotation, means to adjust said back synchronously upon the opposite sides of said pulley surface, and single manually operable means positioned and accessible within the length of said cylindrical body to control said adjusting means.

5. A rotary agitator for a suction cleaner or the like comprising a rotatable body, a brush seat in said body extended helically about the axis of rotation and including substantially parallel side walls to guide a brush element upon insertion or removal, a brush element including an elongated helical back and pivoted brush tufts mounted thereon adjustably positioned in said seat, a radially movable support adjustably positioning said brush element in said seat, and means exterior of said seat to adjust manually said support to vary the radial extension of said brush element.

6. A rotary agitator adapted to be positioned within a suction cleaner'nozzle including a hollow cylindrical body, a helically extending brush seat positioned within said body and facing outwardly from the longitudinal axis thereof, a hellcally extending brush including a back and bristles positioned within said seat with said bristles extended outwardly therefrom, cams rotatably mountedon said body for rotation about a longitudinally extending axis positioned at each end of said back, means connecting said back to said cams whereby upon rotation of said cams said back is moved relative to the longitudinal axis of said body,and manually operable means to adjust synchronously said cams constructed and arranged as to be accessible at the side of said body.

7. A rotary agitator adapted to be positioned within a suction cleaner nozzle and including a hollow cylindrical body adapted to be rotated about a central longitudinal axis, a helically extending brush seat positioned in said body and facing outwardly from said longitudinal axis, a rotatable cam positioned in said body at each end of said seat, a central rotatable element carried by said body and supporting said cams for synchronous rotation, said body being formed with an opening adjacent one of said cams, and

said cam adjacent said opening being rotatable manually by a force exerted therethrough.

8. A rotary agitator adapted to be positioned within a suction cleaner nozzle and including a hollow cylindrical body adapted to be rotated about a central longitudinal axis, a helically extending brush seat positioned in said body and facing outwardly from said longitudinal axis, a rotatable cam positioned in said body at each end of said seat and including a camway formed at arcuately spaced points with radially spaced seats, a helical'brush, positioned in said brush seat, means connecting said brush to said cams and including means adapted to seat in said cam seats, spring means within said body to retain resistingly said last-mentioned means in said cam seats, and means by which said cam may be manually rotated to move said last-mentioned means from seat to seat.

9. The construction defined by the preceding claim characterized in that a pulley surface is positioned centrally of said agitator body and in that there are brushes and interconnected brush adjusting means upon both side of said pulley surface, and in that the manual rotation of one of said cams efiects the synchronous adjustment of brushes upon'opposite sides of said pulley.

DONALD G. SMELLIE. 

